A Blossoming Bud
by MussTariaz
Summary: What would Zuko do when he found out his daughter has an eye on someone?


"What are those black lines on her eyelids? And her cheeks! They look redder than usual!" Zuko eyes her suspiciously. Noticing someone staring at her, she drops her chopsticks. "Dad, why are you staring at me?"

Everyone's attention now turns to Zuko and he nearly chokes on his food upon the confrontation. Clearing his throat, he answers "What are those black lines on your eyelids? And your cheeks seem to be redder than usual!"

The red hue on her cheeks deepens upon Zuko's exclamation. Her thick eyebrows that are very similar to his own furrow as she averts her gaze away and lets out a scowl "What lines? It's probably my upper eyelashes that you're seeing."

A small smile, almost a smirk, reaches Katara's lips after seeing her reaction. Lu Ten, who is sitting next to his twin sister, chimes in "Dad, have you seriously never heard of make up? Girls wear them when they're in loooove..." He raises an eyebrow and a playful smirk appears on his face as he turns to face his sister.

"You're just making things up." She replies, trying to keep her voice sound indifferent despite her quickening heart beat.

"Come on, don't lie! I saw you the other days ago staring at –"

Before he could finish, Kya snaps "I wasn't staring at anyone!" She swears if he speaks any further, she will send a waterwhip his way. Zuko's eyes narrows as he observes Kya's reactions. Having been a teenager once as well as knowing that Kya is the replica of his personality; he knows very well what her attitude means. Well, except for the whole make up thing. He wonders how Lu Ten found out about that part.

"If you two are going to quarrel, then do it somewhere else. I've had enough quarrels that I listened to today." Katara says, although actually she is saying this to help Kya out. She then turns to Zuko "Also, I remember you said you have a meeting with the representatives of the Earth Kingdom at the hour of the turtle-duck." She pauses to look at the sky that is visible from the dining hall. "I think you better hurry."

He looks up at the sky to confirm "Oh Agni, you're right! I was too busy enjoying my food." He sets his eating utensils down and presses his lips against Katara's before he gets up from his seat. He makes his way to where the twins are seated to give them a stroke on their heads then he leaves for the meeting hall. He used to give them a kiss before he would go somewhere but he figures they're too old and too embarrassed for that now.

Kya silently thanks her mother for her warning against quarrelling in the dining hall and for reminding her father about his meeting.

The moon is high up in the sky and the clear sky allows the moon's light to shine brightly. The orchestra of the crickets and frog-owls are the only sounds that disturb the peaceful night. Night is already deep but Zuko finds himself staring into the ceiling, wide eyed. _I saw you the other days ago staring at... _Lu Ten's statement and the way Kya reacted to that during dinner time have been occupying his mind. These bother him so much that his heart doesn't even make a leap when the sleeping waterbender next to him snuggles into him. He lets out a deep sigh which wakes her up. Although the room is poorly lit, she can still see that his eyes are still open. "Can't sleep?" Her voice which sounds heavy from drowsiness pulls him out of his thoughts.

He lets out another sigh and looks down. "Don't you find Kya's behaviour during dinner time a bit strange?"

"Is that why you're still awake at this hour?" she closes her eyes. "She's fourteen, it's normal for kids around her age to behave like that."

"I know. I'm just wondering who Lu Ten was talking about. What if he is a really bad boy who will make her do stupid things? What if he is someone who talks with violence and that he might talk to her that way one day? What if – "His rambling is interrupted by Katara's soft chuckle.

"I didn't know you could be such a worry wart! If you're worried about the boy luring her to do stupid things or hurting her, do you really think there is a big chance of both or any of those two scenarios happening? She has a sharp mind and can distinguish between stupid and good things. And have you forgotten that she is the daughter of a master firebender and waterbender, the Fire Lord's daughter on top of that? Also, she's a fire and waterbender prodigy so she knows how to defend herself!"

Zuko lets her words sink in and a blush crept up his cheeks. How could he be that stupid? He thought to himself. "I guess you're right."

"Well then you better get some sleep!" She kisses his cheek before wrapping her arm around his waist.

"I guess you're right about that as well."

Zuko walked out of the meeting hall with long strides. His furrowed eyebrow and deep frown are telling his personal guards walking behind him that some ministers are getting on his nerves, again. Whatever those people did or said at the meeting, they are lucky that the Fire Lord has learned to control his temper over the past few years. Zuko's personal guards nearly bumped into him when he suddenly stops. A journal wrapped in leather that lies on the ground caught his attention. He picks it up and curiosity leads him to untie the black ribbon that keeps the journal closed. His eyes meet with a familiar handwriting. When he reads the content on the first page, he immediately recognizes the owner of the journal. Curiosity drives him to turn to the next few pages and stops at the tenth page when he sees what is written there:

_Oh he is so very kind. The other days ago I fell on the corridor and he puts down the stack of books he had in his arms just to help me up. I know he is not only being nice to a Princess because I've seen him defended a servant who was being picked on by a noblewoman who was visiting the palace. When I had the chance to chat with him, it turned out that he has a good sense of humour and oh Agni he is incredible at telling stories! Every word that came out of his mouth was interesting. Too bad mom came to take me to the training ground to teach me a new waterbending move. _

Zuko could hear her scowl in his mind when he reads that sentence.

_He is handsome too._

Now his eyes are narrowing.

_His dark brown eyes shimmer in the sunlight and they hold such an intense gaze. His smile is the warmest smile that I've ever seen. Well, after my dad's smile, that is._

Zuko's narrowing eyes turn wide and he raises his eyebrow. He didn't know she thought he had a warm smile and he could feel a blush rushing towards his cheeks.

_He has such a cute laugh too. Oh Agni, can he be more perfect? Don't blame me for liking him so much!_

_I saw you the other days ago staring at . . . _Lu Ten's statement immediately buzzes in his mind. Now he just needs to find out who she is talking about. But before he could do that, the sound of someone clearing their throat disturbs. He looks to the side and nearly jumps in surprise at the presence of Katara who is raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms over her chest. "What are you reading?"

He closes the journal at the speed of light and hides it in the long sleeve of his royal robe although hiding it is already too late by now. "Umm . . . my mom's journal. I found it on the floor. " He replies coolly.

"Right." Katara says as she tilts her head slightly to the side. "Now why would your mother's journal be here when she's all the way in Ba Sing Se?" She taps one finger on her arm, demanding an answer.

Zuko curses inwardly and looks away "It's Kya's." He averts his gaze back to Katara "But trust me, I didn't sneak into her room and rummage through her personal belongings to find this! I found it on the floor just now!" He is expecting to see a frown appear on her face but instead, an amused smile lights up her face.

"Yes, I trust you on that. But I hope you won't send spies to watch every single teenage boy in this nation now that you've read her journal." Katara teases but Zuko only sighs in response. "Remember what I said last night. Whoever the boy is, I'm sure he is someone who has a good heart. You know she doesn't trust people easily."

Having just read half of the content of Kya's journal, Katara's words convince him straight away. He lets out another sigh "I guess you're right."

She leans closer to kiss him then she says with a smirk "I'm always right." Zuko rolls his eyes in response which makes her chuckle softly. "Well, you better put that back in her room before she comes back from her lesson!"

"Now, I'm 100 percent sure that you're right about that!" Now it's his turn to kiss her and he leaves to put the journal back, as Katara suggested. Her gaze is glued on his back and the amused smile she'd pulled up earlier returns. Zuko, the Fire Lord and one of the most powerful men in the world who had flirted with death several times in his life, is nervous about his daughter being in love.


End file.
